Marmalade's Love Potion

Ch 1 - The Invitation - Pt 2

Though she had gone to bed late the night before, and her sleep was restless, Penelope awoke to the blue light of dawn.

The twinkle of small crystal stars, a legacy of childhood comfort, glittered from the sloped wooden ceiling where they had been strung many years prior.

Penelope rose, donned her robe and slippers, and padded to the window overlooking the front garden. Weathered stepping stones lead to a small white gate, beyond which lay a winding pebble path which disappeared into the green of Faewood, running south and south and south, all the way to home.

She still thought of Starwood as home, though she hadn't set eyes on its quartz spires for nearly fifteen years. Her last glimpse of them had been at sundown through the back window of a carriage when she was five years old. The turrets had shone pink in the growing dusk, fading to orange, and then to purple, finally vanishing from sight altogether once the carriage had entered the shade of Faewood.

Only because Penelope had been gazing southward while lost in thought did she catch the silvern glimmer through the distant trees.

Penelope untied the knots of her hair scarf, gently shaking her curls loose, as she squinted into the dim light. She watched as the glimmer grew closer, accompanied by the distinctive clip of hooves.

Penelope froze, barely breathing, for a long moment before she sprinted to her door, slammed it open, and sped across the narrow landing to the Sisters' bedroom.

Hesitating for only a moment, Penelope rapped on the wood of their door. "Sisters! Wake up! Oh, they're here! They're really coming!"

Penelope listened to the sounds of disgruntled muttering and the thump of feet across floorboards as the Sisters rose from their bed.

Penelope hopped from foot to foot, waiting for the door to open.

As soon as Sister Heely creaked the door wide, Penelope pointed to their window. "Look south! There's an entourage coming!"

Sister Heely and Penelope dashed to the window, joined soon after by Sister Rosin who was grumbling and rubbing sleep from her eyes.

The three of them stood watching in silence as a procession of six horses bearing regal squires and a knight, all wearing ceremonial helmets and gleaming chest plates, became visible through the trees. A dark green, almost black, flag bearing the Grimwood crest—three crossed clubs of bone—fluttered in the breeze.

"What are we doing just gawking here?" Sister Rosin hissed. "They can't be more than ten minutes away, we have to dress!"

The three women scrambled into motion, hurriedly washing their faces, dressing, and tending their hair before meeting once more at the foot of the stairs. Penelope fussed with her spiralling brown curls, before Sister Rosin clasped her hands in reassurance. "You look lovely, dear." Penelope gulped a breath, nodded, and smiled wanly.

Not a minute later, the clip-clop of horse hooves sounded on the pebble path, coming to a stop by the gate.

Sister Heely flung open the front door and waved Penelope out first.

A tall squire was dismounting from a restless black steed as Penelope reached the gate, the Sisters following close behind.

"Good morning, sir squire," Penelope said, dipping a shallow curtsy. The squire crossed his arms over his breastplate in greeting.

"Good morning. I am herald for the royal family Grimwood and seek the Princess Penelope of Starwood. My company was directed to take this path from the village by Clear Lake, but I fear we may be lost..." The herald trailed off as his eyes flitted from face to face, then to the squat two-story cottage, taking in the thatched roof in need of maintenance, and the mess of pot plants overflowing the porch.